


Mirrors Of Angelis

by karafuruu



Category: Pokemon - Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Drama & Romance, F/M, Gen, Multi, Other, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 04:33:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26467258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karafuruu/pseuds/karafuruu
Summary: The region of Luceria is known for its beautiful tourist hot spots and its great views - it could seem like just a small region, almost forgotten by the rest of the world. However, everything changes when its fate falls into the hands of a few, these people of different backgrounds and with different goals. This is the story of how the Angelis League was brought to life.
Kudos: 5





	1. Jay

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in a separate timeline of the Pokémon Multiverse, therefore any reference to canon characters should be taken as pure fiction.  
> The story is a collaborative project.

“Welcome, students of our distinguished institution!”

The voice of a rather elderly woman echoed through the spacious room, from speaker to speaker, filling the silence while gaining several mixed reactions from the crowd it was addressing to. The ensemble on the stage seemed pretty normal to the casual viewer: a bunch of kids in their late teens dressed up in robes and wearing graduation caps. In front of them, the speaker from earlier, a woman who probably passed the age of 60 by the looks of it, was holding a microphone, her face bright with joy as she made her speech.   
‘Dignified… Yeah right’ A young teen in the back of the crowd muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. The people around her seemed to either be cheering, shouting, crying or just discussing irrelevant subjects, not paying attention to the speech at all. However, for this girl, the woman’s speech was nothing more than a generator of anger and hatred towards… well… anything that the school, her school, represented. Everyone there knew that the teacher speaking was highly sugar-coating the situation at hand.

“Today we are proud to present to you the dignified graduates of our programme – young adults who have proven their skill and perseverance, and who will continue their path in life as members of our community.” The woman on the stage spoke, as people gave an expected round of applause. “Let the ceremony begin!”

‘Arceus, that’s absolutely stupid…’ The same teen girl from before rolled her eyes, very quietly turning around and making her way out of the multitude of people. Her rather curly pink hair fell down her back and shoulders, surpassing her collarbone and stopping just above the middle of her back; it lightly bounced as she moved, making it the only possible giveaway of her escape. Thankfully, as she looked behind her, no one seemed to be following in her path.

As she sneaked out of the room, the sound of the event became more and more quieter, as she tried to stay unnoticed by blending in with the various people walking down the halls of the school. She had no issue with it, since they were all students and the majority of them were rather loudly chatting. Half of the school was in the conference room, attending the ceremony, while the other half was unknowingly helping her disappear. The cafeteria was really just across the main hall, after all, which meant that the teen could easily get herself a quick snack. Oddly enough, she avoided entering the area, as she almost bolted out of the building, and into the schoolyard. Her escape was not complete yet, though. The girl very quickly yet calmly made her way to the back of the yard, behind the school, to a spot which she had discovered a while back – the perfect place to hide, completely shielded from the eyes of the security cameras and audio recorders spread around the facility. While she was well aware that these devices were there for their own safety (at least supposedly), being constantly watched was not the greatest feeling. When she passed the last camera, the girl took hold of a ladder, held very firmly into place by several screws connecting it to the wall it was attached to. She climbed it while checking to see if any teachers or staff had seen her, before speeding up and getting to the end of it. From then on, she knew teachers didn’t really check the place, and that students never really thought to advance once the ladder stopped. Well, most students, that is. The girl took hold of an open window, swinging herself to the ledge of the classroom opening. It was not only empty, but there were no signs of any activity for at least the next two hours or so – all lights were off completely, the security camera was inactive, and the door seemed to be locked. That was good, she thought, since it just meant that her risk of getting caught was so much lower. She did not enter the classroom, however, choosing to climb back on top of the window itself just to jump and cling to the ledge of the next floor classroom’s window that was just above her. It was a risky move, indeed, however, if she were to fall, the girl could always send out her partner Pokémon to help her a little. So far, she felt like she had everything under control.

Another floor and a few minutes later, the girl’s hands grabbed on to the school’s rooftop, as she pushed herself upwards. Just as she was prepared to climb up completely, one of her palms slipped, causing her to lose her balance and, with it, her grip on the rooftop as well. The teenage girl would have most likely fallen down about four or five floors had her wrist not been quickly grabbed in that exact moment. The girl, whose eyes shut close in fear at first, looked up at her saviour, praying that, whoever saved her, was anyone but a teacher. “How’s it hanging?” A young male’s voice was heard, causing the girl to relax almost instantly. Her fearful expression turned into a both annoyed and relieved frown.

“You’re not funny, Silver.” She spoke, rolling her eyes at the boy. He was still holding on to her, with a rather victorious smirk on his face.

“Hmm… I think you meant ‘Thank you for saving my life, Silver! I owe you!’, but okay…” The boy mockingly replied, before offering her to grab on to his other hand as well, and proceeding to pull her up. She shook some dust off her uniform as soon as she was on her feet, before looking back at him.   
“Thanks.” The girl gave a half-smile, knowing that he really did just save her. “I’ll be eternally grateful.” She teased, playfully hitting his arm with her elbow.

Silver smiled back, turning to walk over to a specific spot on the roof and sat down. It was just next to a different, neighbouring edge of the building, this one facing the seemingly endless forest. “Isn’t it tempting?” He asked, as he watched over the beautiful scenery. The girl could have sworn that his eyes almost sparked with curiosity and hope when looking at the trees and clouds. “Don’t you want to just… you know…” He continued, turning his head to look at her this time. “… Just go?”   
“… Yeah…” She let out a soft sigh, her brown eyes not moving from the imagery of the forest. “Every single time I see it, even...” She gave a sad smile, as her head slightly turned to look up at the sky. It didn’t matter what time of the day it was, the girl would always find the clouds and pastel colors to be absolutely captivating. “It’s not like it matters, though.” Her smile faded, as she looked to the ground. She seemed rather lost in her own thoughts at that moment. “I don’t really remember how it feels like anyways…”

“Going out?” Silver asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Freedom.”

“Oh…”

A moment of silence followed, as both teenagers looked into the distance, or rather into nothingness, as their eyes seemed completely blinded by their visible despair. After a few seconds, she turned her head to look at him. “It’s just vivid memories mostly… It’s not like-”

“Don’t-” he cut her off, holding his hand up as to signal her to stop talking, which she did. It wasn’t usual for him to interrupt her, however, this time she was grateful for it. “… You don’t have to talk about it, Jay. It’s fine.”

Her reply consisted of a slight nod of her head, the relief she felt almost noticeable on her expression. Whether it was that he knew she never liked to talk about her past, or that the topic would make him somehow nostalgic, it hardly mattered. It was all was mostly bittersweet to Jay, and it was a feeling that she very much tried to mask and ignore. Memories of her childhood were sometimes sorrowful enough to bring tears into the eyes of the pink-haired girl. She would rarely cry, though, and this was definitely not the time. “Sometimes I just fantasize about this place crumbling to the ground.” Jay sighed. She truly had a burning rage inside of her, an energy fuelled by every wrong that she had been on the receiving end of. And Silver saw this fire in the girl, the same flame that once scorched his soul as well, something which very quickly helped the two create a bond, and thus become friends.

“Yeah, imagine… I’d still prefer to just run away one day though. Seems less problematic in the long run.” He replied, looking back at her. His crimson red hair would fall over his unsaturated purple eyes from time to time, causing him to constantly have to rearrange it. Jay found this gesture to be rather entertaining, as it did not match the tough and cool persona that he put up while in the presence of literally _everyone_.

“Two more years…” Jay said, before turning her head to look at the sky yet again. “In two years we’ll be out of here and then we could travel the world… like we said we would…”   
“It isn’t _that_ great, you know.” He rolled his eyes.   
“Well, you’ve seen it!” Jay crossed her arms, slightly frowning. “I’ve only been to Unova, and that was when I was a little kid… I can’t possibly know how travelling is.”

“Kinda boring, if you ask me.” Silver replied.

“At least you got to travel! When was the last time you went out of this place, a month ago?” The girl asked, as if she didn’t remember spending every day feeling emptier than ever before while he was gone. She would never let him know that, though.

“It was just a business trip of my dad’s which my mom insisted I should go on.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “Nothing special, really. Men in suits look the same in every region, you know.”

Jay sighed as well, looking away from him for a moment. “… I still wish I’d go somewhere… At least once. I wanna know how it feels like… That’s all…” Her words were quiet and soft, as if she had lost all of the hope of getting out in just a few seconds. And her sudden wave of sadness made Silver feel a bit of remorse towards his words, as he didn’t _mean_ to make her upset.

“Really depends on the reason you’re travelling for, and the company you have while doing so.” Silver said, trying to recall at least one trip which he really enjoyed. So far, he had travelled a lot just because he had to move around. With no place to call home, it wasn’t like he could properly take some time to relax and appreciate his surroundings. After all, each month meant a new home, especially in the period when he first travelled to become a strong Pokémon trainer. Jay had heard all about his childhood dreams and his journey around his home region, Johto, all for the sake of getting strong enough to challenge some famous people, or so he claimed. She didn’t see the point in this, as Jay never really cared about battles or status. However, if talking about these matters made Silver happy even in the slightest, then she would gladly listen. And listen she did, as his story slightly changed every single time that he went over it- small details, mostly, but noticeable ones nevertheless. That was how she had found out who his father was, after all. “Otherwise you’re overhyping the idea.” Silver finished his thought, looking at the forest for just a moment, before turning his gaze back to the girl.

Jay sighed, letting her eyes close and her arms spread as she allowed herself to fall on her back, careful to not hit her head in the process. The pink and curly mess of a hair almost cushioned her fall. She turned her now laying head to him, opening her eyes. “Well, the company part isn’t a problem for me. You’re nice to be around, so I wouldn’t mind my reason being just that.” She smiled, before looking back up. “Don’t let it get to your head, though.”

He chuckled. “When we get out of here, I’ll show you my home region, if you want.” He replied, looking at the sky again.

“I’d love that.” Jay replied, a smile creeping its way onto her lips. To her, it meant the world that he would even want anything to do with her as soon as they both left the facility. 

It was one of these times when she’d find herself wondering how many twists and turns her life had taken in order for her to have ended up in the current situation. Not only that, but she sometimes lost track of who she really was. And it wasn’t like that was a simple bit of information to remember, because almost each day she felt like a completely different person. But today she chose to just be happy, even if it was just for a few minutes. In the end, would it matter how much time she spent feeling joyful or whether she felt happiness at all? This question echoed through her subconsciousness almost every moment of her life, ever since she first asked herself that.   
“Oh, by the way, happy birthday.” Silver broke the silence after a few minutes, before going through his pockets and handing her a rather small black box. Jay raised an eyebrow at his gesture that she thought was slightly out of character, before taking hold of the box. Did he really get her a gift? And, more important, did he remember her birthday?

“Silver, you didn’t have to-”

“No. Shut up. Open it.” He cut her off, gesturing to the object in her hand. “I went through way too much trouble to smuggle this in here. You aren’t allowed to complain, alright?”

“Thanks…” She said, quite speechless, analysing the little box. Jay had too many questions to ask him in that moment, so many that she didn’t know what to start with. So, she just settled for opening her gift. As the contents of the box were revealed, Jay’s eyes widened. A triangular crystal pendant was beautifully shining as the sun touched it, its soft white colors revealing rainbow reflections. “It’s… it’s beautiful…!” She said, still in shock after seeing the jewel. The girl picked it up by its chain, and held it in front of her face, letting it gently swing in the light.   
He placed a hand at the back of his neck, not really knowing how to react, and just sat there awkwardly while Jay admired her gift. It was only when their eyes met that he opened his mouth to speak. “I’m glad you like-” He was cut off by the girl, who literally jumped in his direction in order to hug him.

“I love it.” She whispered softly while her arms were wrapped around him. The boy also hugged her back, after initially being a little tense at being _touched_ but relaxing in no time, as he gave a small sigh of relief. “Thank you so much…” Jay added, before letting go of her friend.   
“Well, you’d better wear it.” He teased, trying to regain his cool and relaxed attitude. She nodded, placing the necklace around her neck, turning her back to Silver before using one hand to hold her hair up. He didn’t even need a confirmation to know that she was waiting for him to secure the chain, which he did, careful not to break it. “Done.”

Jay turned to him again, letting her hair fall back on her shoulders. Her smile was radiating happiness, as she turned her gaze to the beautiful scenery. There were so many things that she would have wanted to say in that moment, yet no words were making themselves heard. Sometimes, she felt lucky- a feeling which she never really verbalized. If she could get away from her monotone, annoying real life for just a moment, Jay never wasted any time to retreat to a quieter place and just enjoy a peaceful atmosphere. And Silver’s presence was always appreciated. She didn’t really have any other friends, so to say that she cared about him was an understatement. And still, it was neither’s style to talk about that.

“We should get going.” Silver broke the silence after a while, gaining a soft sigh from Jay. “The last thing we need is people noticing we disappeared.”

“I know…” She replied, slowly getting up. Jay took one last long glance at the view, as if she would never get to see it again.

The boy got up as well, before the two made their way down the rooftop, very careful as to not get caught. As unreal as the last few minutes had been for the two of them, everything always ended with them having to go back to enduring their daily lives in a place where freedom was just a distant memory. When their feet touched the ground again, the two quietly made their way back to the front of the schoolyard, neither having the courage to speak up.

As soon as she was back in the sight of the security cameras, her birthday completely lost her meaning in the eyes of anyone they would encounter. However, this didn’t bother Jay. If anything, she had learned to appreciate the things that she did have, as opposed to what she couldn’t. And the fact that she got to feel free, even for a few moments, that was more than enough.


	2. Azure

Two weeks.

That was it. She would only have to wait for two more weeks.

In theory, the time period was a rather short one, at least according to what the young woman was constantly telling herself. After all, fourteen days could potentially pass by unnoticed given the right circumstances. And, with an entire laboratory to set up, people to interview and research to be done, the circumstances certainly looked about right. She couldn’t recall the last time she had started the day without a cup of coffee, especially since she had brought all of her materials to Luceria over the course of six international flights and about two or three fights with the agency in charge of helping her with it. Sure, she was aware of the dangers and risks of this habit, however, she couldn’t really care less. As long as she got through the burdens of each day, it was worth it.

Even though it wasn’t like she didn’t have any work to do during these two weeks, the time was definitely passing much slower for the woman than usual. It was a rather odd phenomenon that she couldn’t scientifically explain – the closer she got to the date of his arrival, the longer the days seemed to be dragging on. And no, there was no clock to show her how each day had an extra hour or two, because _they didn’t_. However, as the stubborn person she was, whatever she couldn’t explain with facts, she would try to ignore.

Her mind was half occupied by mundane thoughts of what she had to do in order to start officially working again, and half-filled with the worries she carried for the one who was supposed to join her in exactly two weeks. What if something horrible had happened? What if he was badly hurt? What if he would never return? The questions seemed to be never-ending as she went on about her day. He had been gone for a good while now, and, even though she was not one to necessarily voice her feelings, things had started to feel a little monotone since he left.

“Miss Goodwin, where do we place your desk?”

She turned around to face what she believed to be the coordinator of the two Gurdurrs holding her beautifully crafted wooden desk, realizing that she had been daydreaming again. “Oh, that goes in the main study. Possibly next to the window, if you will.” She instructed them, as she gained a nod from the worker Pokémon. She then walked a few steps further from the action, and simultaneously, all the noise, taking out her mobile phone. The woman sighed, pressing a few buttons before a text message popped out on her screen.

_Has the landlord arrived to discuss the prices yet? Let me know. – R_

Even though she was aware that this message had been sent more than three weeks ago, she couldn’t help but feel just the tiniest bit of comfort reading it again. Her finger scrolled down just enough to see more of her conversation.

_I really think this could prove helpful to our research. I can’t wait to show you everything. – R_

Her lips curled into a little smile, as she tried to reassure herself that he was fine, and that not having heard from him in a long time just meant he was busy.

_It’s all going great. Wish you were here to see it all. – R_

Then, where was he? If he truly was fine, why didn’t he at least send her a message? Her thoughts were intrusive, and, before she knew it, her mind had gone to a place where it became impossible for her to focus on work again. Therefore, the woman had no choice but to get her thoughts back together and build up the courage to contact him. Her worry had gotten the best of her, and, while she knew he was most likely too busy to pick up, she still had a tiny amount of hope that she would hear his voice again.

The phone rang for a few seconds, before an automatic voice mail default message was interrupted by the woman pressing the red button on the screen. The rational side of her mind was yelling at her to calm down, while her fears constantly bugged her about what could have happened to him.

If it wasn’t for everything they had gone through together, maybe she would have been less panicked whenever he didn’t give any sign of life. Just maybe, had she not known about a previous experience of his with powerful Pokémon, one which he was so reluctant to talk about, maybe then she would have slept better at night. Granted, he was a strong trainer and a smart man, however, that little seed of doubt in her mind flowered into a ferocious fear of the unknown. It didn’t take long for her to worry for every minute of every day. And, as her mind was active for about twenty out of twenty four hours a day, she had quite the amount of time to think, regardless of how much her actual work took up.

The phone’s screen shut off, as the woman’s gaze shifted from the device to the sky. She stared at it for quite a while before the usual intrusive thoughts started flooding her head again. Thankfully, this time her eyes didn’t fill with tears, as they normally did whenever she felt hopeless. However, it did not mean that she was less terrified. ‘He told me he couldn’t wait to come back and share everything he discovered with me…’ She thought to herself, as her mind automatically went all the way back to the memory of him saying goodbye.

It seemed like a lifetime ago. The more she thought about it, the more distant the memory began to feel. However, she could still remember it perfectly – the excitement in his eyes, his gentle smile… And, the most important part of it all, the way he pulled her into an embrace when he noticed the sadness on her face. He really, truly felt like home, a feeling which she so desperately longed for ever since she had been a child. And, before she knew it, her favorite person in the world waved her goodbye from the window of a black car.

“It’ll be alright, Azure… I promise.” He told her while holding the woman close to his chest. It took a considerable amount of mental will for her not to let any tears show, let alone to stop herself from telling him that she did not want him to leave. “Hey… when I get back, why don’t we take a break from all the work? We could do something we both enjoy, like go somewhere nice.” He proposed.

Azure, with her face still buried in the man’s chest, shook her head. She let go of him, trying not to let it show how devastating this day was proving to be for her. “No… it’s fine. We have a lot to do, we don’t have time to waste…” She said in a faint tone. “This project is a lot to focus on, and I don’t think we can afford to lose any-”  
“The project won’t regress if you take _one_ night off, Azure.” He chuckled, watching the woman as she took a step back to look at him. As always, she showed no obvious signs of pain or suffering. However, he could tell how distressed she was just from the expression in her eyes. “I think we both need this, anyways.”

“Ray, I-” she stopped herself, looking away before quietly sighing. “… What if I can’t handle it?” The woman asked after a moment, avoiding eye contact.

“The lab preparations?” He raised an eyebrow, still looking at her regardless of where her gaze was averted. “I’ll just call someone to help you, you can take breaks and-”

“What if I can’t handle being alone?” She interrupted the man, finally looking back at him. This time, to the untrained eye, she would look just slightly sad. To Ray, it looked like the world had crashed and burned upon the poor woman, leaving her devastated. He sighed, letting a sad smile show on his face.

“Then we’ll talk. On the phone, through text, letters… Anything of the kind.” He replied, feeling her soft gaze follow his words as if she was mentally writing down everything he said. “I will be back, Azure.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

She sighed again, briefly closing her eyes. Azure’s expression seemed to be lessened of worry for a while, as she let the air flow out of her lungs. She opened her eyes to look at the man, before giving a small yet determined nod. “You’d better bring back something good.” She smiled, trying to change the sad tone of her voice.  
“This could prove to be monumental, the amount of information I could bring back… it could change lives.” Ray spoke, a tiny spark of excitement visible in his violet eyes. “We could change the world.”

“Just… take care of yourself, okay?” She said, going over to him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. After all, who knew when she’d get to do that again?

“Alright. Will do.” He replied, hugging her back while closing his eyes.

While Ray wasn’t scared of the journey he was about to embark on, he did have his concerns regarding Azure. Sure, he could make it out on his own, even in places most people wouldn’t survive. He was a skilled battler, and an even more skilled strategist. However, while he was going on the adventure of his lifetime, he was leaving behind the person who cared about him the most. And there had been conversations and conversations when the two of them discussed the implications of him leaving, when the happiness would quickly fade from Azure’s face, when Ray would feel bad for even bringing it up, and when the two would quietly sit at different ends of the sofa afterwards, not daring to look at each other. For Azure, it usually was because she didn’t want to break down in front of him. For Ray, it was because he didn’t want to see her suffer. They had a special relationship, to say the least. The pair never relied on words to really communicate, as their actions told them exactly what they needed to know. Two busy people, captivated by their work and dreams, who never gave much thought to feelings or emotions. For all they knew, they were the closest of friends.

Azure had never felt so attached to someone before, and so she unconsciously made a promise to never let go of him. She never really properly understood the feelings of others, let alone her own. Maybe it was because she had a different way of looking at things, a mere matter of perspective. However, it sometimes made her feel like she would not ever gain any understanding of how people are supposed to experience emotion. All of these thoughts had a tendency to haunt the young woman’s sleepless nights. When Ray was around, she really tried her best to be as receptive as possible in order to communicate efficiently.

He noticed her behaviour very early in their friendship, and, like she did too, Ray tried his best to communicate and understand Azure’s sometimes expressionless face and monotone words. And, while he may have felt that she was sometimes being completely oblivious to his mental state, the man knew that he couldn’t really do anything about it. But Ray was fine with the way things were, at least fine enough to convince anyone who’d see them interact. Of course, he cared deeply about Azure, however he was aware that she couldn’t really see it. To him, seeing her at least a bit happy was enough.

The sudden sound of Azure’s ringtone brought her back to reality, as her grip tightened around her mobile phone. The woman looked at the screen, her eyes widening. She quickly accepted the call, placing the phone next to her ear.

“Azure, hi, I’m sorry it took this long for me to call.” Ray’s voice could be heard through the speakers. “I’ve been out of a service zone for quite a while. I just got out of a cave and I’m making my way to the camping base right now.” As he spoke, her lips curled into a relieved smile. “How have you been?” Ray asked. Azure’s voice was nowhere to be found, though, as she couldn’t bring herself to speak one word. “… Hello? Azure…?”

Her eyes started filling with tears, but she couldn’t have Ray know that she felt like crying. With a deep breath, she opened her mouth. “I’m… I’m fine… I’m just so happy you’re alright…” She finally let out a sigh of relief, trying her best not to let her voice break as she talked. “How’s the research going?” Her tone went back to being stable, Azure managing to calm down. He was okay. Everything was okay.

“It is amazing, honestly. I never imagined getting my hands on data like this… Every day something new gets discovered, and every day I’m there to see it.” He replied with excitement. “This could be the most impressive work of my life…”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying the trip.” She said, her tone getting just slightly sadder.  
“Azure?”

“Hm?”

“Are you alright?”

And then a moment of silence followed, as she stared into nothingness, trying to come up with a non-worrying way of replying to his question. First of all, no, she was far from alright. Her only friend, the person she cared about the most, was really far away from her, and she wouldn’t see him for at least two more weeks. Her chest felt odd, a feeling which she did not know how to identify as, but one which she did not like in the slightest. Had she not known any better, Azure would think her heart was aching, as she could feel something like a blade pierce through her soul. However, she couldn’t tell him that. So, with a sad smile still on her face and her eyes filling with tears again, which she _very quickly_ wiped with her sleeve, the woman bit her tongue and spoke again. “Yes, I’m fine… It’s just weird, you know?”

“What is?” He asked, more than slightly concerned.

“Not having you around. Maybe it’s a matter of habit…” Azure replied.

Another few seconds of silence made the nature around her seem loud in comparison. Neither of them really knew what to say to each other, since whatever they thought in that moment. they feared that it could come off as too much. And maybe it was, however the two didn’t plan on finding out anytime soon. The silence was ended by a soft sigh on Ray’s side.

“… You know, I miss you too.” He said, a few seconds later. Ray’s voice was soft and gentle as he spoke to her, gaining a sad look from Azure, which, fortunately for her, he couldn’t see.

She did not know how to reply to that – she didn’t even know why he had said something like that. While Azure did believe him, she found it hard to understand that he felt almost like she did in that moment. “Come back safe, okay…?” She managed to say, this time her sadness being clearly audible.

“I told you I will, and I’m keeping my word.” He replied. “I have to go now, but I’ll call you again when I get the chance.”

“Okay…”

“Hey, and, Azure?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry about me, okay? I’m fine, nothing’s managed to touch me-” he was interrupted by another sigh from the woman,

“Ray, it’s not about that… You’re just… really far…” Her voice seemed weak and hopeless. “I can’t _not_ worry…”

“… I know. I’m sorry.” Ray sighed, imagining how she might have been feeling. “I’ll be back in no time… Alright?”

As silence surrounded them once again, Azure looked up at the sky, her ice blue eyes getting lost in the beauty of the scenery. It was almost bittersweet, as she thought about how much more she would have enjoyed the view if only Ray was there with her. If only he was not out risking his life for the sake of science. Still, Azure knew it was his passion, and who was she to stop him from following it?

Her eyes closed briefly, as she took in a deep breath of fresh air. “Take care, okay…?” She spoke softly, her voice now much less worried than before.

“You too.” Ray replied, trying to also lighten up his voice’s tone. “Goodbye, Azure.”

“Bye, Ray…”

And with that, a small beep was heard, as the call ended. Azure refused to watch the screen, or the sky or anything, for that matter. Suddenly, everything seemed irrelevant and unimportant in relation to Ray’s safe return. All that mattered was him getting back home. She turned around to walk back to the workers who were still moving her furniture, as she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She needed to get herself together, at least for Ray’s sake. She was given a job, and she was going to do it right.

Azure’s long blonde hair flew in the soft breeze of wind that hit her face, as some sort of a wakeup call about the work she needed to get done. She would welcome Ray home with a fully furnished and clean new office, if it was the last thing she would do. And so, as she walked towards the working site, the woman’s worry and fear were suddenly erased from her face as if they’d never been there in the first place.

After all, that was her way of getting things done. Everything would go according to plan.


	3. James

“Monferno, use Blaze Kick!”  
A powerful Flamethrower covered the sky above the small Pokémon, causing the Monferno to stay alert before preparing its attack. His trainer was aware that his opponent was not only significantly bigger, but also much stronger than the little Pokémon. However, while the winged beast held the advantage in terms of raw strength, there were a few other ways that the smaller creature could outsmart it. In that moment, the Pokémon-trainer duo would have to focus on speed, especially. With that in mind, the boy frowned while closely watching the movements of both the rival Pokémon, and its trainer, situated on the other side of the battlefield. The Monferno countered the powerful Pokémon with a very well-aimed Blaze Kick, managing to cause significant damage. His lips would instinctively curl into a satisfied smile, seeing that his plan had worked. Sure, they were still far from victory, but it was always reassuring to know that their efforts were not in vain.

The opponent, an evidently well-trained Charizard, landed several feet away from the Monferno, seeming just a little shaken by the impact that the Pokémon’s attack had on him. He was not brought down from the sky by the smaller Pokémon’s attack in the slightest, but rather looked to get back on the ground to regain his balance. The young boy kept a close watch of the Charizard’s trainer. Ever since they had started working together a few years ago, the younger trainer’s battling skills had improved greatly. In just three years, he went from being the only kid he knew that didn’t have a Pokémon team to one of the most promising trainers in his home region. Granted, it was not as if the region was filled with the greatest battlers of all time, however, to the young teen, any challenge he was faced with brought him closer to claiming the title of the most powerful trainer that Luceria had seen.

That was James Valer’s goal at the mere age of fifteen, had anyone asked. His parents never fully supported his dreams of becoming a full-time Pokémon trainer, however, after about five years of constant begging from their only son, they had decided that maybe fuelling his childish fixations would help him become less stubborn about not following in their footsteps. After all, one day he would have to leave behind his dreams, which his father considered unworthy of someone belonging to their family, and take on the responsibility of running the business of his parents.

It was almost set in stone, as far as they were concerned, therefore a ten year old James’s mother managed to convince her husband to grant the boy at least a few years of normalcy during his teenage years. With a sigh, he would look towards the golden blonde woman in front of him, and then towards the window. “Alright. If it is only until his sixteenth birthday, I will allow it.” The man would speak, lightly tapping the brown cigar in his right hand against the crystal ashtray set on a small wooden table. “However, Katherine, he will take his responsibilities seriously, we must make sure of this. No son of mine is falling behind on his education for the sake of becoming a trainer.”

“Of course, dear.” His mother would give a warm smile. “He will still see his tutors and professors every day, without a doubt.”

“And the moment this nonsense of his will get in the way of his education, we are stopping everything. Make sure he is aware of that.” The man would add, his eyes still locked on the window.

“I am aware of that, Louis. James will do just fine, you will see.” Katherine’s long hair would slightly flow as she turned to leave. After all, the woman had some important news for her son, which she was rather thrilled to share with the boy. At the end of the hallway, James waited patiently for his mother’s return, his eyes lighting up as he saw her make her way to him.

That would mark the moment James started his journey, something that would remain in his heart as the most important moment of his life for a long time. Ranking in at the second place in his list of important times would be the day he met his mentor – the person who would pass on all of his knowledge to the little boy, who would watch him grow both as a trainer and as a person, and who would shortly become James’s only friend. He remembered that day perfectly, when his eyes widened at the sight of the older boy who only gave a nod and a smile upon seeing the kid approach him. The moment their eyes met, James could clearly see the determination and seriousness in the trainer’s expression. His father turned to the boy, and, in an unnecessary serious tone, told him that he will follow the trainer’s directions for the next few years. This was something that James did not need to hear twice. He recognized him at first glance – anyone would, after all. However, that didn’t make it easier to process the fact that he would get to train with none other than a legendary trainer, who went by the name of Red. James knew all about his amazing adventures, especially the completion of the Kantonian Pokédex, which no trainer before had managed to do. But that was not all that the boy admired about the trainer. What was the most amazing to James in everything that Red did, had to be the relationship he had with his Pokémon. This young man did not need any words to communicate with his partners. It was amazing, really, to watch him battle and be in perfect sync with all of his Pokémon without giving one vocal command the entire time. The first time Red had challenged him to a battle, James had been in awe at the sight of his unique style. Ever since then, he’d always make mental notes on both the body language and the emotions of the older trainer.

As his Charizard flew back into the sky, Red would watch over the battlefield carefully, as if to make sure not a single movement of his opponent’s would escape his field of vision. As if scanning for the Monferno’s flaws. As if that would be fatal to his victory, a fact which, as James got closer and closer to defeating him with each battle they had, the young boy tended to believe to be true. However, much to James’s surprise, the trainer was not on watch for a mistake. Red’s lips curled into a half-smile as he witnessed the boy’s Pokémon faintly start to glow.

“Alright Monferno, let’s go for some Close Combat!” James commended, as the Pokémon lunged at the Charizard. Its quick steps in a rather straight line stopped at about two or three meters away from where the winged Pokémon’s shadow fell, after which, with a certain grace that fighting types seemed to possess, the Monferno jumped up into the air, the little glow surrounding him beginning to shine brighter. James’s eyes widened as his partner Pokémon was engulfed by a white light mid-jump, his form changing into a bigger, stronger creature. It was over so quickly, however, in the young trainer’s mind, the moment would be replayed so many times later that evening. When the light faded, James couldn’t help but grin at the sight. His Monferno – now a beautiful Infernape – attacked the Charizard with what seemed to be a newfound force. Both of the Pokémon came down to the ground, with Infernape leading the fall, as the impact made both James and Red cover their eyes to shield themselves from the dust flying around the battlefield. A couple of seconds later, Charizard got up, as Infernape jumped back before his trainer, giving out a determined cry. The kid had no words, as he did the only thing that felt right in that moment, running over to the Pokémon and wrapping his arms around his neck in joy. The Infernape would mimic his movements, hugging his trainer happily.

Red took out a Pokéball, returning the fire type beast in an instant. He then made his way towards James, smiling. “You did good.” He simply said, placing his arm on the boy’s shoulder. James would let go of the Pokémon and get up, listening to his mentor speak. Getting any word out of Red was something truly rare, which meant that every time he spoke, the boy knew it was very important. And, if he decided to verbally congratulate him, it was an indicator of his effort being quite remarkable.

“Thank you!” James replied, his grin as wide as ever.

“That was… something.”

The voice of the much older adult echoed from behind the young trainer, making both of them turn around. Louis Valer had been quietly watching his son’s performance for the past few minutes, his hands behind his back in an elegant manner. Emerald green eyes examined the boy carefully, giving him a look which James really struggled not to roll his eyes at. While he was used to his father being indifferent about his training, he still, somehow, sought at least a spark of encouragement coming from the man. And, no matter how well James did in battle, no matter how much he studied, no matter how tidy and organized he was, his father would never even do as much as congratulate him. Even though he got used to his cold way of being, the boy still would have liked to hear at least half of a confirmation that he was doing something right.

Louis cleared his throat, before looking to the older boy. “Well, thank you for your time, Red.” He then turned his gaze back to his son. “Come now, James. Your first professor will arrive soon, I don’t want him to see you like… this.”

“What’s wrong with my clothes, dad?” James slightly turned his head. He was wearing a black hoodie and a grey T-shirt, along with dark blue jeans. His sneakers were of a very pretty dark green, a color that beautifully complimented the outfit.

“Oh, please, James, not this again…” his father would sigh, closing his eyes momentarily. “You _know_ the answer to this, young man. Training is one thing, however, you will present yourself as a dignified student to the professors. We have been over this before.”

The boy sighed as well, before looking back to Red. “Thank you for today. I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked, smiling to his mentor. Red nodded, before turning to leave. James watched him walk out of the mansion’s yard, before looking at his father, who would clear his voice again, as a way to tell him to hurry up.

“James...” He would start, just as his son took a couple of steps past him.

“Yes, father?”

The boy’s hazel eyes would not dare look up from the ground as he replied. He had trained himself not to react in any way whenever his dad spoke to him, especially considering that most of the man’s remarks were rather unpleasant. However, every time he opened his mouth to speak to the boy, the slightest bit of hope would spark up in James’s heart that maybe, just maybe, his father would have come to his senses and finally worked up the courage to tell him something nice for a change. Similarly, James would also often daydream about the moment when he’d work up the courage to speak up against his father. Sometimes, he would wonder whether the both of them were too afraid to voice their thoughts. Other times, he’d simply blame the distanced attitude on his dad’s prideful manner. Whatever it was, it didn’t really make a difference to him, after all.

Louis very slightly turned his head towards the boy, watching his posture as if he were analysing him. “Don’t forget to wash up before changing into clean clothes.” He said, before making his way to the massive steel gates that enclosed the Valer property from the rest of the world.

James continued walking, eyes still looking down, only letting out a small sigh of defeat. “Of course.” He replied rather quietly, not even daring to look up at the man.

His steps were quiet and soft, as the boy made his way back inside the enormous mansion which he grew to despise. His home was all he ever really knew – and while most outside people would lay their eyes on the Valers’ property with both envy and astoundment, while most kids James’s age could only dream of the luxury he bathed in daily, while everyone else believed that the family lived the life of their dreams, the heir to their fortune would have given it all away in a heartbeat, just for one chance of living the wild, free life of a professional Pokémon Trainer. However, these thoughts were doomed to remain nothing but hopeless wishes which would never be fulfilled.

As he stepped on to the stairs leading to the front entrance, a pair of butlers opened the heavy doors for the boy, giving him a final moment to look back at the battlefield, as if he’d never return to it again. It was a fear that James had learned to live with, the fear of uncertainty, the fear that one day his parents would stop everything he loves with no warning. That one day, one ordinary day, he’d simply stop seeing Red again. That he’d have Infernape taken away from him in his sleep. These were all invasive thoughts in the young teen’s mind, determining him to take rather odd measures, such as sleep with his favorite Pokémon’s pokéball right under his pillow, or even in his arms. There was a certain good side to this, as James was taught by circumstances to love his Pokémon unconditionally and cherish every moment spent with them all. Whether it was training or simply running around the house when his father wasn’t home, the boy knew how to make the best out of every situation.

And every day, James would wake up with a smile on his face, thinking about the possibilities that awaited him. After all, what else did he have to look forward to each day?


End file.
